hello and welcome to "newsline." it's monday, august 12th. i'm catherine kobayashi. more than 30 people were killed. at least 13 civilians, including 7 children, were killed in an air raid on friday in the northern city of racka, where rebels are mostly in control. an intense battle followed the air raid as rebel forces

responded with mortar shells. government warplanes have also been bombing areas in latackia. the activists say more than 20 people, including ten civilians were killed. government troops have stepped up their offensive around the country, including latakia and suburbs of damascus while they try to retake rebel regions. more than 100,000 people have died over the past two and a half years. two japanese journalists who lost a colleague in syria are trying to get as close as they can to report on the country's civil war. free lance journalist yamamoto is reporting from aleppo on august 20th last year. she was killed when opposition forces came under fire. these two men left japan for turkey on sunday. they worked with her for the japan press. they will be based at a refugee

camp in neighboring jordan. people have fled syria, and the situation in the conflict zone. they were partners. and he witnessed her death. he says he wants to hand down what she tried to convey through her reports. >> translator: i worked with yamamoto for 17 years. i feel like she's with me again at this time. i'll cover the story with her wishes in mind. >> the two journalists will stay in the region until august 21st. japan's industry ministry will ask a group of experts to reexamine the safety of its plan to bury highly radioactive waste from nuclear power plants. officials began selecting disposal sites in the year 2000. but there's been no progress amid public concerns about safety. the plan calls for burying nuclear waste more than 300

meters underground. the plant's feasibility was based on a report compiled in 1999 by a government affiliated organization. the ministry will set up a working group of experts as early as september to reexamine the plan's safety for the first time in 14 years. the ministry will ask to recommend experts with a neutral view. the experts will check whether an underground disposal facility will be able to store nuclear waste for a long period of time, even if earthquakes and crustal movements occur. they'll use knowledge learned from the march 2011 quake and nuclear disaster. athletes and coaches from other countries suspected for years that thir competitors from the former west germany were cheating. now german researchers have reported that doping there was systematic. the government affiliated federal institute of sports science released a report on banned drugs. researchers from humble university in berlin revealed

the study. they started engaging in doepg in 1949, soon after germany divided into west and east. by 1960, they used a banned drug, and it was well organized. they say that cyclists and hockey players on national teams were given drugs made from calves' blood. they say the practice was conducted under the pretext of research. the report says even after the reunification of germany in 1990, there were still more loopholes. they're calling for more rigorous testing. senior u.s. lawmakers are to visit japan to discuss bilateral and regional matters with officials. robert men endez will visit japan tuesday through thursday. the democrat senator will meet

officials. john mccain is a member of the armed services committee. republican representative dana rohrabacher is considering a visit early next month. some u.s. lawmakers are worried about soured relations between japan and other countries as a result of territorial disputes. in june they called on china to exercise self-restraint over territorial dispute concerning the senkaku islands in the east china sea. the u.s. lawmakers are likely to take up japan-china relations in their discussions with japanese officials. futenma air station in okinawa is another likely topic on their agendas. the deployment of ospreys at the sufficient base in japan is a thorny issue for the two countries, making matters worse is the crash of a u.s. military helicopter in southern japan earlier this month. but now u.s. marine pilots have used the osprey aircraft for the first time to transport

reporters accompanies u.s. president barack obama to his vacation site. they began their summer vacation on sunday, on an island in the northeastern state of massachusetts. in april the u.s. marine corps deployed osprey in transporting the presidential entourage. it says that the osprey's safety has been proven with more than 160,000 hours of flight time. the same osprey model is stationed at the u.s. marine futenma air station. the u.s. military had to postpone flying the craft because of intensifying protests following the crash of a u.s. military helicopter in okinawa earlier this month. the use for osprey for the presidential entourage is to evidently emphasize their safety and mitigate safety concerns in okinawa. a u.s. film director is lending his voice to the cause of ridding the world of nuclear weapons. oliver stone has visited with some of the survivors of the

u.s. atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki. stone went to the japanese cities for the 60th anniversary of the bombings. he met survivors in each city and was surprised it was impossible for many to get medical treatment after the bombings. he gave a lecture in tokyo on sunday to share his experiences. >> i spent a few days here in hiroshima, and met survivors and talked to them. their hopes are to see the end of nuclear abolition -- have nuclear abolition in their lifetime. >> stone won the 1986 best picture academy award for "platoon" about american soldiers fighting in the vietnam war. last year he produced a documentary series, the untold history of the united states, in which he questions the use of the atomic bombs. hiroshima, nagasaki, the

atomic bombings killed thousands of people in an instant and left survivors suffering in the ruins. "newsline" is looking back on what happened then, and what's happened since. don't miss our special coverage "war to piece: lessons of 1945" through thursday, august 15th. china has a diverse food culture, including in some areas edible insects. the benefits of eating insects are now being endorsed by the u.n.'s food and agriculture organization. a recent fao report suggests edible insects could be a way of tackling food choices as the global population increases. here is the report from china. >> reporter: the capital of the province in southwest china.

this area is home to a number of minority ethnic groups. this restaurant serves the traditional food of the local minorities. some of the most popular specialties here are the insect dishes. >> translator: they smell and taste nice. >> translator: eating insects makes men stronger and women prettier. >> reporter: these are deep-fried bugs. i want to try this. they're crispy, salty. they taste just like regular snacks. in this region, insects have long been part of people's diets. usually the insects are quickly

deep fried in a wok over high heat. this drives out brackish taste and gives them extra flavor. >> translator: the most important thing for deep frying insects is oil temperature and the strength of the flame. if the flame is too high, they lose their flavor. if it's too low, they lose their aroma. >> reporter: it's situated high above sea level, and has a mild climate that seems to suit many kinds of insects. this is where the locusts are raised. this one is about ten days old. it will grow to its full size in just 35 days. the farm is run by pongxing.

she first began raisie ining lo two years ago. no chemicals are needed, it's eco friendly as well as low cost. when the locusts are fully grown, they're packed in cages for shipping. it's not hard work. that's another benefit of locust farming. >> translator: for insect farming, you don't need large capital investment. you don't even need to work so hard. but nonetheless, it can still bring you high benefit. >> reporter: locust farming is catching on in this area. she's linked up with 20 other local farmers to expand her business. they have rented a refrigerator, and ship the frozen locusts to

other parts of china, where they can get a higher price. the total came to $245,000. besides locusts, pan has more than ten other kinds of bugs. an fao report on insect sales, they're highly nutritious and could be eaten in place of livestock. this has encouraged pan to look for further expansion in foreign markets. >> translator: as the u.n. report becomes known, i hope to expand my business. i want more people around the world to eat insects. ♪ >> reporter: scientists see insects as a key food source for the future. people who already have a love tradition of eating insects are hoping this means a new bug for their business.

nhk world, china. sunday marked two years and five months since the march 11th disaster. the residents of a town about 10 kilometers from the crippled fukushima daiichi plant have visited family graves before the buddhist holidays. many grave stones were washed away by the tsunami and weeds have grown around the foundations. some people have difficulty finding the graves. residents of namiatown had to evacuate after the fukushima daiichi nuclear accident. they can only visit some parts of the town and are not allowed to live there. this eremoved weeds, and offered incense and left flowers. they also prayed for their ancestors and missing relatives. >> translator: it took me a while to find you. >> translator: my dear, i'll

come back next month to see you again. >> in another disaster hit area, volunteers are searching for people still missing after the tsunami. about 60 people took part in the search on a beach in the miyagi prefecture. junior and senior high school students participated from across the country. 15,883 people have been confirmed dead in the disaster. while 2,656 are still unaccounted for. 1,299 are listed as missing in miyagi, one of the hardest hit prefectures. the volunteers turned overocks by hand under the scorching sun. >> translator: i hope we can find clues to the whereabouts of the missing.

>> translator: many people have come here to help us. we will continue the activity as long as we can. >> volunteers burned incense and left flowers for the victims. the families of those who lost their lives in japan's worst air accident are reliving that day 28 years ago. they released paper lanterns to pray for the souls of those who perished. monday marks the 28th anniversary of the japan airlines jumbo jet crash on mount osaka west of tokyo. the aircraft smashed into the mountain on august 12th, 1985. 520 people onboard died in the mishap. relatives and others floated 200 lanterns on the cania river at

6:56 p.m., the exact time of the accident. some wrote messages on the lanterns, that the accident will be remembered forever. others wrote messages asking the souls of those who died to watch over the living. >> translator: i wrote a message and then floated the lantern, wishing the accident will never be forgotten. >> japan airlines chairman visited the floating lantern memorial. >> translator: this place marks where our efforts toward safety began. we really need to be extra careful to ensure safety. >> the participants will attend a ceremony later this evening to pray for the safety of air traffic. scientists in italy have opened a family tomb to identify a woman whose image is believed

to be captured in the mona lisa, one of leonardo da vinci's masterpieces. they opened the hole in a floor in a church in flons on friday. the tomb underneath contains a family of a silk merchant in florence. his wife was lisa gardini who is very likely to have sat for leonardo da vinci. they hope to get dna from her son in the bones of the tomb. they found the ruins of three women where lisa spent her final days. scientists will try to find out whether the dna from lisa's son closely matches that from one of the remains. if the dna match is successful, the team can generate an image of lisa's face from the skull and compare it with the 16th century painting. traditional japanese sweets are pleasing on the eye, shaped like flowers or leaves. they get you thinking about the

seasons. but two young women decided it was time to try something new. they're creating snacks that stimulate all the senses starting with your sense of humor. all eyes at this recital are on the musicians. and a row of traditional japanese sweets. almost traditional. gracing the top of each sweet is a tiny musical note. the theme of the sweet is eating sound. the audience gets to savor two culture experiences at the same time, food for the soul and the mind. the fun treats are the work two kyoto confectioners. mina used to work at a publishing company. her interest in japanese sweets started with a book assignment. she quit her job and moved to kyoto to learn more.

her friend came to the capital for college. soon after, she developed a taste for old style confectionary and started working at a traditional sweet shop. that's where she met ucida, sharing a hunger to create their own style of treats in their own business. their creations are stylish or funny motifs. and they give all of them names, just like traditional japanese sweets. this design is called techka. the hands of the clock are set for tea break. this one is food for deeper thought. it's called the grass is always greener. >> translator: we just wanted to make something that would make people laugh when they ate it.

>> the two sweet chefs are always working on new ideas and motifs. they carry a notebook with them at all times. they have a sharp eye for the funny and quirky side of life. >> translator: i always have my antenna up. i ride my bike a lot, and i always pay attention to what i see. i found something interesting, i'll write it down, posters, or someone's hairstyle, for example. >> what started out making sweets for weddings and tea ceremonies. but word on their creations is spreading. they now sell directly to the public once a month. a line forms outside whenever their shop is open. >> translator: the names are great and they are stylish little treats. they are really cute.

>> translator: they have one called the apollo with just one little footprint on the moon. and the moon walk has many footprints. it's such a cute idea. >> the two sweet mae stros published a book off their designs. it went into a second printing almost immediately. >> translator: we just hope that people who become interested in our work will head to japanese sweet shops, and learn about all kinds of sweets, both modern and traditional. >> translator: i hope, for example, people enjoy the design of sweets at a museum, and then they can eat it later. our goal is to create something that can be enjoyed both visually and for its taste. >> they say they've found their calling. they're in the entertainment business, and the kitchen is their studio, using rice flour,

sugar and beans, and a strong pinch of humor. the kyoto confectioners are putting their own staff on a japanese tradition. time now for a check on the weather with meteorologist sayaki. it seems people in the philippines are dealing with heavy rain. what's the latest? >> yes, catherine, the second typhoon of this year is slamming northern parts of the philippines at this moment. it made landfall earlier this morning. now, near the center of the storm, winds are exceeding 160 kilometers per hour with gusts of nearly 220 kilometers per hour. it looks like it's going to come across luzon for the next several hours and head out to sea this evening. because the sea surface temperature over the south china sea is not quite warm enough to support the system, so it could redevelop and hit guon province.

waves could be as high as 8 to 9 meters. gigantic waves out there. in terms of the rainfall, more than 200 millimeters likely for parts of luzon, and these areas were hit by the previous storm system last week, and also the week prior. the ground is already well saturated. additional rain will heighten the risks of flooding. the pacific high is very strong this year. covering central parts of japan, western japan, south korea and eastern china, producing record-breaking temperatures in some places. for example, in tokyo, yesterday the high reached 38 degrees for the first time in nine years. and also, the amazing fact is that the lowest temperature yesterday was 30.4 degrees. and that was the highest in 138 years. and people in much of east asia

are escaping from the heat. this is one way. over 1,500 minute machines are helping residents escape the historic heat wave. many brave the severe temperatures to view the shrines throughout the day. thrs the water being sprayed has apparently been filtered four times, making it as clean as drinking water. it's very hot across japan as well as chongqing. temperatures will go into the 40-degree mark into wednesday, and south korea, 37 degrees into wednesday. and kyoto, 38 on monday. i know many people are enjoying summer vacation, especially this week in japan. stay out of the direct sunshine if you can, and also drink plenty of water. all right. in north america, mostly dry

across the east and west of the country, but severe weather is occurring across the midsection of the u.s. hail the size of golf balls in south dakota, the severe weather is expected to shift towards the central and southern plains as we go into monday. temperatures are quite hot across the south. 36 degrees for houston. mild conditions across the east at 24 in toronto, with rainy weather. finally, in europe, mostly dry. but there are a couple of things to talk about. we are seeing severe weather from northern germany into the southern scandinavian peninsula. temperatures are quite mild as opposed to last week. here's your extended forecast.

one more story to share with you before we leave. the hot summer weather across japan means it's time to look for ways to beat the heat. one way is to prepare for one of the largest dance festivals in the country. hundreds of people did just that on the eve of this week's annual festival in western japan. about 700 dancers from 33 groups joined in the event on sunday. they danced on stage to the melodies and rhythms of flutes, drums and three-stringed instruments known as shamasen. >> translator: i really enjoyed the dancing by so many groups together. i look forward to the festival. >> the four-day event officially begins on monday.

and that is all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us. 

- coming up: an urgent call for sustainability. - if we're going to do what we have to do in the short window of time that physics and chemistry allow, then it will be through systemic change that it happens. - environmental activist bill mckibben explains the depressing state of climate change, and tells what governments and private citizens can do. that's just ahead on "global ethics forum." - few people have influenced our understanding of global warming quite like today's guest. though scientists first clued into the warming of our planet more than a century ago, it wasn't until the release of "the end of nature" in 1989 that folks like you and i began to take notice. the person who got our attention was bill mckibben. mckibben has since become one of the world's leading environmentalists. in addition to serving